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Are you eligible for a
DHOAS subsidy?
Our Australia-wide network
is easy to access.
For the cover you can count on
just call 1300 552 662.
Then you are also entitled to home and contents
insurance through the Defence Service Homes Insurance
Scheme---even if you don t have a DHOAS home loan.
The scheme offers:
• Comprehensive cover
• Economical premiums
• No general excess
• Contents new for old replacement, regardless of age.
P02018 DSHI---DHOAS 261x190 Dec 09
22
August 4, 2011
RCE
AIR F
History
Air Force Band
August 4: Force 10 will per-
form as part of the Morning
Melodies concert in the
Yarra Valley series at the
Yarra Valley Country Club
from 11am.
August 16: Force 10 will give
a free concert in Doncaster
Shopping Town from 11am
as part of the Morning
Melodies series.
August 18: The Air Force
Clarinet Quartet will support
the 87SQN all ranks dining-
in night at the RAAF Base
Edinburgh Combined Mess
Facility.
To confirm dates and tim-
ings, call WOFF Stephen
Bate on (03) 9256 2514.
Defence Charity Ball
The Australian Defence
Charity Ball will be held at
the Brisbane Convention
and Exhibition Centre on
September 10 to raise funds
for Legacy. The tri-service
event -- which attracted
more than 800 people last
year -- will feature entertain-
ment from Darryl Braithwaite
and band, Gretel Killeen and
the RAN band, as well as a
range of activities includ-
ing displays from Air Force
MWD puppies and Navy
divers. For more informa-
tion, visit www.defencechari-
tyball.com.au
BULLETIN BOARD
Andrew Stackpool
FOR former WWII FLGOFF Robert
Chester-Master, the number 13 was ei-
ther lucky or unlucky.
On August 13, 1944, his 514SQN
Lancaster LM180 was returning from
a mission in Germany when it was
attacked over Belgium by a Luftwaffe
nightfighter.
"It fired at us and we fired back;
both planes were shot down and we
had to bale out at 1000 feet," Mr
Chester-Master told 25 Australian Air
Force Cadets (AAFC) at the 2WG
annual flying camp.
The camp was held at RAAF Base
Amberley from June 25 to July 3.
Mr Chester-Master suffered a bro-
ken ankle -- in what was the squad-
ron's 13th mission -- but he evaded
capture by hiding in safe houses for
several months until he made his way
back to England.
Another crewmember died while
one who was captured escaped after
the German party holding him was
strafed by an Allied fighter.
Mr Chester-Master, former Spitfire
pilot Lindsay Richards and former
Lancaster bomb aimer FLGOFF Laurie
Woods relayed their experiences dur-
ing the war when they joined the cadets,
6SQN's FLGOFF James Dutschke and
Commander AAFC, GPCAPT Ken Given
(AAFC), at the camp.
SQNLDR (AAFC) Danny
Hoyland, of AAFC headquarters,
organised the gathering.
"Lindsay Richards dive-bombed
German V-1 rocket sites 14 times as
well as other deeds and Laurie Woods
has written two books about the
Australian Bomber Command crews
and was awarded the Distinguished
Flying Cross," SQNLDR Hoyland said.
"I have had an association with these
great men over the years at Anzac Day
parades, so I wanted to honour them,
and let the young trainee pilots hear
their extraordinary stories.
Cadets transfixed
"Mr Chester-Master also had some
great memorabilia -- a Nazi ID, silk
map of Germany and parts of his air-
craft, which were given to him when
he visited the crash site on the 50th
anniversary by the two children (now
in their 70s) who found him in a pad-
dock all those years ago.
"The cadets were in awe of their
bravery, and asked them to return
for the next course," SQNLDR
Hoyland said.
WWII STORIES: Above, former
Spitfire pilot Lindsay Richards
speaks with cadets; top, from
left, Robert Chester-Master, Mr
Richards and Laurie Woods
with new Air Force Cadet pilots
undertaking their training at RAAF
Base Amberley.
Photos: LACW Kylie Gibson
WWII STORIES: Above former